** Eliminate county concealed weapon licensing boards and transfer
all duties and responsibility to the county sheriffs.

** Allow licensees and applicants that meet certain
requirements to apply for exemptions to carry concealed pistols in no-carry
zones.

** Require each county to establish and maintain a Concealed
Pistol Licensing Fund.

DETAILED SUMMARY:

Among other things, the bill would do the following:

oEliminate all county concealed weapon licensing boards effective
January 1, 2013, and transfer their duties and functions to county sheriffs.

oEliminate a provision requiring the police department or county
sheriff to retain certain records for at least six years.

oAlter the information that county sheriffs, police agencies, and
county clerks must include in the concealed pistol application kits that each is
required to provide free-of-charge to interested applicants.

oClarify that each county must operate a concealed weapon
licensing board through April 30, 2013.

oClarify that the county clerk will serve as the clerk of the
licensing authority and is responsible to store and maintain all records
related to the issuance or denial of a license.

oProvide that the authority for a licensing board to convene a
panel to assist in evaluating applicants expires on April 30, 2013, at
midnight.

oProvide that the licensing authority could only require an
application to appear before it for a conference if it has reason to believe
the application may not be qualified to receive a concealed pistol license.
The clerk of the licensing authority would have to send a notification to
appear at a conference to the applicant that includes a specific statutory
citation for each disqualification to be addressed. Both parties would have to
mutually agree on the date of a hearing.

oRequire that the firearms laws compiled by the Legislative
Service Bureau be provided to the State Police in electronic format, rather
than to the individual licensing boards. The State Police would have to
provide a copy of the compiled laws to each of the licensing authorities and
its clerk, in addition to information regarding the rights and responsibilities
of applicants, license holders, and licensing authorities. The State Police
would also have to provide appeal forms and must distribute all forms and
information to each licensing authority and its clerk.

oEliminate, effective at midnight on April 30, 2013, all county
concealed weapon licensing boards and transfer all duties, functions, and
responsibilities of the boards to the county sheriffs. All applications and
official documents would have to be transferred to the clerk of the licensing
authority. Pending applications would remain in place and would be processed
as provided for in the act.

oClarify that concealed pistol carry licenses issued prior to
midnight on April 30, 2013, would be valid and remain in effect until the
license expires.

oProvide that references used by an applicant cannot be related to
the applicant or a member of the household.

oAllow the licensing authority clerk to take photographs of
applicants at no charge or for a reasonable fee if the applicant does not
submit a photograph.

oRequire the county clerk to obtain a signature from the applicant
at the time of application for use on a license.

oRequire the applicant to properly complete a refund authorization
form.

oProvide that no additional information can be requested of an
application than what is required in the bill.

oProvide that no other charges, fees, costs, or assessments, can
be required of an applicant, except for those authorized in the bill. The bill
would also direct $41 of each application and licensing fee into the newly
created Concealed Pistol Licensing Fund with the remaining $64 being deposited
into the General Fund to the credit of the State Police.

oRequire sheriffs and local police agencies that maintain
fingerprinting capability to provide reasonable access to those services during
normal business hours as is necessary to comply with the requirements of the
bill. Failure to provide such access to fingerprinting services would not
affect the 45-day period in which a licensing authority is required to make a
determination on an application.

oReduce from 10 to 7, the number of days in which the State Police
must provide a copy of an FBI fingerprint report to the submitting sheriff's
department or local police agency.

oAllow an application to be denied if fingerprints are not
classifiable and a report cannot be obtained from the applicant's name, birthdate,
and other identifying information.

oClarify that a licensing authority is required to issue a
determination on an application within 45 days of receiving it. The licensing
authority would also have to include an endorsement exemption from the
prohibitions against carrying a concealed pistol in certain areas if the
applicant requests the exemption endorsement and is a court officer.

oIncrease from 5 to 7 days, the amount of time a licensing
authority would have to (1) inform the applicant of the reasons for denial and
(2) inform the applicant of the right to appeal if a licensing authority denies
issuance of a license or denies an exemption to carry a concealed pistol in a
no-carry zone.

oProvide that if a determination is not made within 45 days, the
clerk of a licensing authority would have to issue a temporary license and a
refund of the portion of the application fee that is deposited in the Concealed
Pistol Licensing Fund. If a temporary license is not issued within 10 days,
the clerk would have to immediately issue a temporary license and issue an
appropriate refund.

oRequire that by May 1, 2013, licenses be constructed of plastic
laminated paper or hard plastic and prohibit any additional fees be charged for
such a license. The bill would allow a licensing authority to charge an
optional $10.00 fee for an optional hard plastic license.

oRequire a court to order the county in which a licensing
authority that has been found to have denied or failed to issue a license, and
the decision is found to be clearly erroneous or arbitrary and capricious, to
pay all of the applicant's actual costs and attorney fees in
appealing the denial. Under current law, the state is required to pay 1/3 of
the cost and the county is required to pay 2/3 of the cost. All costs and
refunds paid to applicants would be paid out of the Concealed Pistol Licensing
Fund, or if a sufficient amount is not in the fund, from the county general
fund.

oRemove a provision requiring the applicant pay the actual costs
and attorney fees of the licensing board in responding to an appeal that was
determined to be frivolous.

oAdd the number of suspended concealed pistol licenses in the
State Police's annual report to the Legislature.

oRequire that in order for a pistol training or safety program to
meet the requirements for knowledge or training, it must have been provided
within five years of the date of application.

oModify the criteria for pistol training and safety programs for
certificates issued after May 1, 2013.

oAllow licensing authorities to suspend, rather than revoke,
licenses of individuals found guilty of committing certain alcohol related
offenses.

oRequire the licensing authority clerk to notify a licensee of the
pending expiration of a license. The notice would have to be sent no later
than three months and no earlier than six months prior to expiration.
Applicants are eligible for a license renewal prior to a license expiring or
within a 5-year period before the application date.

oReduce from 60 to 45 days, the amount of time a licensing
authority has to make a determination on a renewal license. If a determination
is not made during that time span, an appropriate refund would have to be
issued in the same manner as provided for an initial application.

oBeginning May 1, 2013, require applicants to certify that during
the 1-hour of firing range time required for renewal, the applicant fired at
least 98 rounds. Under current law, educational requirements can be waived for
an application applying for a renewal license if the applicant certifies he or
she has completed at least three hours of review and one hour of firing range
time.

oTransfer from the prosecuting attorney to the State Police, the
responsibility for notifying the licensing authority when a license holder has
been charged with an offense specified in the act.

oExempt individuals that have applied for and been granted an
exemption to carry concealed pistols in no-carry zones. In order to be
eligible for an exemption, individuals have to request an exemption and (1) be
a current licensee or applicant that has completed at least eight hours of
additional training (that meets the requirements of the bill) or a (2) be a
certified firearms instructor.

oAllow a licensing authority to delegate the responsibility for
making a determination of an exemption to the clerk of the licensing authority
for current licensees only.

oRequire that a determination be made on an exemption application
within 10 days of receiving it. In the event an exemption is denied, the
denial notice would have to include specific statutory for the denial.

oRequire the entire fee be deposited into the Concealed Pistol
Licensing Fund if the licensing authority delegates responsibility for making a
determination on an exemption to the clerk.

oRequire current license holders that apply for and are granted an
exemption to surrender a license immediately after receiving a replacement
license with the exemption endorsement.

oRequire each county to establish a Concealed Pistol Licensing
Fund that would be under the investment control of the county treasurer. The
fund could only be used to administer the cost of the act or for (1) staffing,
(2) technology, (3) office supplies, (4) or document storage and retrieval.

oProvide that hearings conducted to determine whether applicants
pose a danger to himself or herself or to any other person would be closed to
the public if requested by the individual. Individuals could be represented by
legal counsel during the hearing and could present relevant evidence. If a
suspension is imposed, the licensee would have to promptly surrender the
license after receiving notice from the clerk.

oAutomatically reinstate a surrendered license when the suspension
period expires, provided the license has not expired and the individual is
otherwise qualified to receive a license. The clerk would have to provide
notice of license reinstatement within seven days of the license being
reinstated. The authority would be able to charge a reinstatement fee of up to
$20.